Art Top 5 of 2021

Installation shot of “If only this mountain between us could be ground to dust,” 2021/Image courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

1
If only this mountain between us could be ground to dust
(Art Institute of Chicago)
This immersive, fragmented installation, by Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, echoes the experience of Palestinian displacement, using multichannel video, sound and text.

2
LatinXAmerican
(DePaul Art Museum)
Part of the museum’s ongoing initiative to foster Latinx representation and participation, this spectacular, cohesive group exhibition featured work by some of Chicago’s brightest talents, from Candida Alvarez to Yvette Mayorga.

3
Smashing Into My Heart
(Renaissance Society)
Myriam Ben Salah’s inaugural exhibition at the Ren was equal parts whimsical and earnest, bringing together thirteen artists to explore the complexities of friendship.

4
Planting and Maintaining a Perennial Garden: Shrouds by Faheem Majeed
(Hyde Park Art Center)
Faheed Majeed investigated the significance of the South Side Community Art Center in a series of new and remixed works, including a massive charcoal rubbing of the building’s facade.

5
Moki Cherry
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Psychedelic textile pieces and seldom-seen paintings deftly fuse together threads from the late Swedish artist’s life and work.

Honorable Mentions:

As galleries and museums re-opened this year, there was no shortage of worthy and wonderful exhibitions—some delayed, others extended. I’d be remiss not to mention Hyun Jung Jun‘s dreamy solo exhibition at Goldfinch Gallery, Carrie Mae Weems‘ take on a Black Panther Party school at the Logan Center, the fun, feminist group show The Red Wedding at Ruschman, Amina Ross‘ visionary video on Man’s Country at Iceberg Projects, the Smart Museum‘s environment-focused iteration of Toward Common Cause, and the sculptural detritus lovingly crafted by Tamara Becerra Valdez at Chicago Artists Coalition.